Olabode George is a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former military governor of Ondo State. In this interview with a select group of journalists, he speaks on his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, assesses the Muhammadu Buhari administration and the presidential election petition tribunal among other issues. Iniobong Iwok, who was there brings the excerpts:
As a retired general, what is your view on the state of security across Nigeria in recent times?
Traditionally in the military culture, you don’t give any report on your superior officers, but this is no longer military, it concerns the generality of Nigerians.
My personal assessment is that they failed, not completely in all sectors, but if you do an exam, you agree with me that you must have 33percent to go to the next class, but they did not attain that 33percent. If I want to score them I would give them 5percent; even that five percent requires a lot of introspection.
The economic sector, the education, health, agriculture and infrastructural sector, the most important thing that you must guarantee your people is security. Who is safe now? Whether you are a rich man or poor, when you are walking in a direction you have to look back, left and centre. It is very disheartening and heart-breaking that the number one job; guaranteeing security of lives and property, has failed.
The post-mortem analysis of the reason why this and that was so, a few came up before the election but we would on my party side sit down, we messed up too. The national malady that was raging in Nigeria at that time when we should have avoided all these things, we were driven into the unknown and there was nothing we could do.
I am in a quagmire, I am heavily disappointed but God said; the journey of life cannot be straight all the time, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes you hit the tunnel. I believe we would make mistakes and learn.
For them it is the end of another era, when he was coming in, Buhari said I would fight corruption, protect the lives of Nigeria, all sorts of promises.
Let’s put the promises and see, because that is what would be written in the pages of history. As we begin another journey with Tinubu we must be full of prayers.
Buhari promised free and fair elections, that they are going to buy technology that would remove manipulators, straight from the polling station to BVAS we organised a party here, hoping that is the end of election rigging.
People asked me are you sure? I said it is a general that is talking. They budgeted, released the money and they did test runs in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections.
Before the general election INEC chairman did a test run and said that the will of the people would prevail, but on the main day, he told us there was a glitch, it was shambolic, disgraceful. They now went back to manual counting.
This is a man that retired as a general and with all the training, people expect you would use that experience to help your country and improve the system.
We have almost hit the bottom in any sector in this country. There was a time when students in the university were at home for nine months, teachers were asking for their salaries.
Look at our economy now; the CBN governor a few days ago increased the interest rate to 18.2percent. Who is going to borrow? Except you are a thief because you would pass the burden to the people. How would they take that?
Look at the power situation, there is no infrastructure, etc. Look at the inflation rate, very high at 22percent. I am not a pessimist, but facts are facts. Nigeria’s problem is man made and it is because we have wrong people in power. We are falling down, we did not move anywhere.
What are your expectations from Tinubu’s administration?
Because it is my country I can only pray about my country. The process that brought him to power was shambolic; the INEC chairman was doing what he likes, they got the results and in the middle of the night handed over the certificate to him. Power is transient.
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Would you work with Tinubu if he calls you to join him?
There is nothing personal, if he comes and says let work together in the interest of the country why not.
This country trained us. We must put something for the system that would positively impact the young ones and put smiles on their faces.
Look, I trained in the military. You know in the military whoever is in the trench next to you is your brother. When you go out to say what is our mission in the military? It is to defend our country. If he comes and says look, what do you feel about this, what do you feel about that, let’s work together in the interest of this country, why would I refuse? This nation also trained me.
The military trained me. There is no part of the world that I have not been, training and doing exercises. This country trained us. So, we must be able to put something back to the system that would also positively impact on the younger ones, to put a smile on their faces.
I would pray for Nigeria, so in making decisions he would remember the people. Let him do things objectively, because the fallout would affect everyone.
Would you say that the Buhari administration was a one-man show or cabal was ruling?
An individual cannot do it alone, even in the military when you are planning you have directors, chief of staff they put their heads together. You don’t do it alone, you have only one back you may not see what is happening, but totally if it would be your plan.
Immediately they got there, the most striking mistake they made was not implementing the conference report.
Goodluck Jonathan no matter what anybody says about him would have a special place in the pages of history. When Jonathan was in power, people were complaining that the country was too large, we should restructure, and Jonathan listened to the leaders and set up a constitutional review committee.
So, the power for the state and national would be there rather than this unitary system.
For the first time, a constitutional conference was set up by a civilian administration and they met and the report was ratified, submitted and handed over to Jonathan.
I must praise the chairman of that committee; he was a civilised man, who was gentle on the participants of that constitutional conference.
Even if you were angry, he would allow you to make your point, for six months the conference sat.
We found out that we copied the American system and we only copied half. Right now the country is not working; you only have one man in Abuja who knows it all.
The report was submitted to the federal executive council, they examined and debated it and the next point was the National Assembly, but they said they were close to election etc.
They could have handled or debated it, our party controlled both houses in the National Assembly, but we said it would be implemented after the general election. We spent so much money setting up that conference. Why did they refuse to discuss it?
President Buhari was given a full report and he refused to implement the report and said they should be put in archives.
But some months ago, after realising that this system cannot work, he started giving directions for the state to handle railways, electricity, prison etc. Look at the debt portfolio of Nigeria today, who is going to pay? What is our income?
They said Dangote has built a refinery, but failed to realise that in the next five years, petrol engine cars would not be manufactured, electric cars would be invented.
Recently, a delegation from Tinubu was sent to you and you refused to endorse his presidency. Do you still have anything against him?
I am a human being; there is a being that is bigger than us. I explained they came with three issues; the first to apologise what they did to me at that time, that I should forgive and forget. I told them clearly I have moved on.
My interpretation of that experience was like; if God wants to use you, he would allow you to go through a spiritual desert to learn and see his grace.
To have survived for eighteen months, I did not go to hospital for one second. I came out and everyday became a mecca for different people, because they knew that there was no offence. I have forgiven, but to forget is difficult, because it is a different experience.
Nothing is personal between us, I told them to establish a skill acquisition centre in Lagos. But he is not here, but Sanwo-olu can do it or whoever wins in court.
My point is, the government should not be for yourself, family, and your wife. That is the point of disagreement, I have nothing personal against him.
The second one was for us to set up a Lagos State platform whose membership would be all Lagosians irrespective of your political affiliation. Indigenes should be members. One individual cannot solve the problem here, let’s join hands.
I did not accept the procedure they did in making him president, the powers that be have pointed him out and Buhari said he is going to Niger if he is bothered.
We must learn from our problems and grow. I am told we now service our debt with more than 90 percent of our money.
I pray the God almighty would enter into those who would be the managers of the country.
I have a major question for one of the immediate past Minister, I mean the Minister of works; my impression about his performance there is very disgraceful.
The Apongbo bridge down, if you are coming from Surulere is very bad, now you can only go through Yaba, even Surulere road is down. This is your state and you are our son.
What would history say about you? You are coming home and you went there to represent us. Right now, there is traffic across Lagos State because of bad roads.
Are you optimistic that your party would get favourable judgment from the presidential election petition tribunal in Abuja?
Let me just quote the current Chief Justice of the federation ; some days ago, he made a statement telling his colleagues in the Supreme Court to search their conscience and do what is fair that would give a new name to the judiciary. If he is not seeing something he would not say that.
If the CJN says that it speaks volume. I lost my interest when we were told we would not allow live telecast in the law court. I looked at the reasons given for why I cried for my country, why it is a secret cult. Let the people see the court proceeding, because this issue concerns them; they went to vote, we saw the shenanigan in that election.
Your party went into the election a divided house; do you see the PDP still playing the role of opposition in this administration?
I also hope it will be, but we need to go and sanitise our party, fumigate our party and clean out the things that led us to be worse, fully and disgracefully defeated. I told you the zoning concept was the best, it is not in the national constitution, it is the founders that set it up and it is the best for us.
It is a lesson we would expand and talk about the day they call a meeting. We must tell ourselves the truth, it is not a matter of patch work. If we lose in court, we must tell ourselves the truth and re-engineer, strengthen the place because I can never forget what those leaders did.
What they did destabilised Nigeria and made us lose. A divided house can never win. It is a defeated house.
I hope we have learned; we would not go the way of ANPP. I am telling them the truth. I am the one representing the Southwest at the national caucus of the party, if I can’t tell them the truth it is bad. I hope this is just a lesson and not a breaking point.
